Today, 75 years ago, Soviet Union invaded Poland

Crossroads · (This post was last modified: 09-17-2014, 08:09 PM by Crossroads.)

Today marks the 75th anniversary of Soviet Union's invasion of Poland from the east, sixteen days after Nazi Germany's attack on that country from the west, in accordance to the notorious secret protocol of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

Facing a second front, the Polish government concluded that the defence of the Romanian Bridgehead was no longer feasible and ordered an emergency evacuation of all troops to neutral Romania. This was not before a series of isolated battles took place, but despite a tactical Polish victory on 28 September at the Battle of Szack, the outcome of the larger conflict was never in doubt.

We at Forgotten Battles Tournament honour the date. Salute

At the moment we're re-enacting the 1920 Soviet Invasion of Poland in the scenario picturing the Battle for Lwow.

Next, we're off to September 1939, to repeat the Polish victory at Szack, or to turn the history around depending which side you are on.

Then, we're off to the battle of Wytyczno on October 1, 1939 near Włodawa in Poland. It was a struggle between the Polish forces of the Border Defence Corps of Gen. Wilhelm Orlik-Rückemann and the Soviet Red Army during the invasion of Poland.

Then, November 30 marks the 75th anniversary of Soviet Union invasion of Finland, known commonly as Winter War. Lots of Forgotten Battles to cover there as well!

The Forgotten Battles Tournament thread can be found: HERE.

Please Join In! MCS 2.02 required.

Crossroads · 09-20-2014, 05:18 AM,

Commanders, Tiger 88 just signed in and is in a need of a worthy opponent! Anyone? Please Join In Salute

09-20-2014, 05:23 AM,

(09-17-2014, 07:29 PM)Battle Kat Wrote: Today marks the 75th anniversary of Soviet Union's invasion of Poland from the east, sixteen days after Nazi Germany's attack on that country from the west, in accordance to the notorious secret protocol of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

An inconvenient truth that some political parties would like to remain secret, or have us forget. Whitewashing history?

Thanks for the reminder.

09-20-2014, 05:38 AM,

(09-20-2014, 05:23 AM)berto Wrote:
(09-17-2014, 07:29 PM)Battle Kat Wrote: Today marks the 75th anniversary of Soviet Union's invasion of Poland from the east, sixteen days after Nazi Germany's attack on that country from the west, in accordance to the notorious secret protocol of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

An inconvenient truth that some political parties would like to remain secret, or have us forget. Whitewashing history?

Thanks for the reminder.

It gets worse. I once worked for a Polish-Jewish professor. As a youth, he fled the Nazi invasion, only to be imprisoned -- by the Soviets! His entire family was shipped off to labor camps in Russian Karelia and Siberia. He alone survived the war, eventually gaining asylum in, ironically, West Germany, then finally making his way to the U.S., where he had a distinguished career as Professor of Economics and Finance at the Business School, University of Chicago (where I worked for him).

For more, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Zarnowitz

Just one more among many such stories, seldom told.

Crossroads · (This post was last modified: 09-20-2014, 05:17 PM by Crossroads.)

(09-20-2014, 05:23 AM)berto Wrote: Whitewashing history?

Berto, unfortunately not I think. It is just that people don't know their history anymore, nor are interested of it. Ignorance is a bliss. Much more fun to go shopping or to a sports pub right.

Speaking of Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, that date, August 23rd, is declared the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism by EU. But still, I know even in Europe, Western Europe particularly and for obvious reasons, people remember the struggle solely as a fight against Nazism, while in Eastern Europe the era is much more complicated than that.

Forgotten Battles has been a fun (this is a gaming forum after all) side project for Mike and I, and I am thrilled pink seeing more scenarios coming out, not picturing D-Day or Stalingrad or another well known event, but the less known struggles during that dark period of not so remote history.

Anyhow, I repeat my invitation for the good folks of the CS community to join in!

I also invite more folks designing new scenarios using these new units and formations now available in FB2.0. It is our intention to include a lot of that content into MCS 2.1 UPDATE in future, so that work has a chance to enter the limelight in 2016, and not to be part of a mod as such.

Salute